In the
2005 Montreal municipal election, Martínez Ferrada was elected to the
city council for the electoral district of Saint-Michel as a member of
Union Montréal. In 2007, she joined
Vision Montréal, serving until
2009 when she lost to Union Montréal candidate
Frantz Benjamin. From 2009 to 2013, Martínez Ferrada worked for Vision Montréal and in the office of
Louise Harel. In the
2013 Montreal municipal election, Martínez Ferrada ran to be the borough mayor of
Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension with
Coalition Montréal, placing second to
Anie Samson of
Équipe Denis Coderre pour Montréal. Prior to her election to the House of Commons, Martínez Ferrada worked as a community
Parliament Hill staffer in
Mélanie Joly's office. A member of the
Liberal Party, Martínez Ferrada ran as the party's candidate in
Hochelaga in the
2019 Canadian federal election. She gained her seat from the
New Democratic Party, by a tight margin over the
Bloc Québécois. It was the first time the riding had been won by a Liberal since
Jean-Claude Malépart had won it in 1988. Following her election in 2019, Martínez Ferrada was appointed as
parliamentary secretary to the
minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship,
Marco Mendicino. After being re-elected in the
2021 Canadian federal election, Martínez Ferrada was appointed
minister of tourism and
minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec in 2023. On February 6, 2025, Martínez Ferrada announced she would stand down at the
2025 Canadian federal election.
Mayor of Montreal (2025–present) In February 2025, Martínez Ferrada resigned from the
Cabinet and as the Liberal Party national campaign co-chair to seek the leadership of the
Ensemble Montréal. She was elected leader by acclamation on February 28, 2025, becoming the party's candidate for mayor in the
2025 Montreal municipal election. In May 2025, she apologized after it was reported that she accepted an illegal security deposit from a tenant renting her family home. Martínez Ferrada focused her mayoral campaign on housing and affordability, and promised a review of the city's bike lanes. She was endorsed by Équipe Anjou and the city's business community. Martínez Ferrada was elected mayor on November 2, 2025, defeating
Luc Rabouin of
Projet Montréal. Her party also won a majority of seats on the
Montreal City Council. She is the first
Latin American Canadian to serve as the city's mayor. Martínez Ferrada was sworn in as mayor on November 13, 2025. == Personal life ==